ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 30, 1996 TAG: 9612020104
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
THOMAS ``HITMAN'' Hearns earned a TKO in the fifth round over Karl ``The Scorpion'' Willis at the Roanoke Civic Center.
It's rare that two men can go away so happy after trying to beat each other into submission, but that's what happened Friday night when six-time world boxing champion Thomas ``Hitman'' Hearns fought Karl ``The Scorpion'' Willis at the Roanoke Civic Center.
The 38-year-old Hearns, fighting for the first time in 14 months, knocked Willis out 2:39 into the fifth round of their light heavyweight bout with a stiff right hand just below Willis' sternum. Willis called it ``a liver punch'' recalling a similar hit he once took that left him struggling to breathe for the next two weeks.
After this fight, however, Willis was breathing, speaking and thinking as clearly as he had before he entered the ring. The referee, standing behind him, stopped the fight late in the fifth when the body blow sent Willis to his knees. Just a minute earlier, Willis (23-5, 17 KOs) had landed a left hook that put Hearns (57-4-1, 44 KOs) on his heels.
``More than anything else, I was too laid back,'' Hearns said afterward in his dressing room. ``I wasn't able to hit him clean. But I knew when he came in close, I wouldn't have any problem.''
The referee obviously thought Willis had a problem, and thus stopped the fight without looking in his eyes (as is customary) and without giving him a standing eight-count (as also is customary). The first person to look in Willis' eyes was Hearns' brother, Billy Hearns, who rushed in the ring, squatted in front of Willis and exclaimed, ``Can you go? Can you go?''
``I definitely could have kept going,'' said Willis. ``I wasn't even dazed. But you can't argue with the ref, no matter if he's wrong. You can make yourself look bad, and I'm not into that.''
Judging from the boos of the 963-member audience when the fight was stopped, Willis looked pretty good, aside from his trunks, which resembled red cutoff dress corduroys. He won the first round and fought Hearns so evenly in the second that they hugged when it was over. Willis lost the third round that was punctuated with a Hearns hook that knocked out his mouthpiece at the bell, and hung in as Hearns seemed to regain his old form in the fourth.
Willis had the advantage in the fifth before Hearns landed the decisive combination. ``There were four punches from the outside, then I put three punches on him, then we set back up,'' Willis recalled with an obviously clear head, ``Then he faked a body shot and came with an overhand right, and then he landed the body shot.''
Hearns' entourage swept into the ring and lifted him by his yellow trunks, which had been missing in the hour before the bout, and celebrated in the ring. Hearns offered words of encouragement for Willis, who provided a tougher defense than many had expected.
``I told you we don't bring no bums to Roanoke!'' said promoter Harold Smith.
The spectators seemed to agree. A small but boisterous crowd was herded into the south stands to provide a nice picture for the ESPN2 telecast. By about 8:20 p.m., or the 10th round of the co-feature won by IBA junior lightweight champion Francisco ``El Tigre'' Arreola, all spectators were invited to come down and sit at ringside. Shouts of ``V-I-P baby!'' rang out, as $15 ticket buyers settled in one row behind the $150 seats.
From there, they got an even better view of the work Hearns and Willis were doing. And they got to take a closer look at the reason Willis walked away happy. Aside from his girlfriend, Quebec native Josee St.Onge, who was wiping blood from Willis' forehead, Willis had Victory Gym trainer Willard Barbour in his corner.
Also in his corner was Jim Westmoreland, manager of Roanoker Steve Pannell. Pannell (21-3) had a great showing in his hometown, knocking out William Campudani 18 seconds into the first round.
Barbour was the man on whom Willis relied. At Willis' request, Barbour agreed to handle him during the fight. They had two days to prepare. ``Imagine what we could do in six weeks!'' Barbour said.
They might get the chance to find out. Willis said he hopes to remain in the area and work under the tutelage of Barbour. Willis has broken from his former manager, Robert Moore.
But just as quickly as Willis made the decision to stay around, Hearns and his group prepared to leave town and get ready for the next stop on his nascent boxing tour. He didn't leave the building without an encouraging message to the fans, however.
``I just want to say something,'' Hearns said into the ring microphone. ``I'll be back.''
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY Staff. Thomas ``Hitman'' Hearns (right)by CNBglances Karl Willis with a right hand at the Roanoke Civic Center
during Friday night's main event in the ``Brawl Beneath the Star.''